Mail titles kept using investigator after his conviction, court hears

"Steve Whittamore, who was convicted in 2005 and given a conditional discharge, said his activities for the publisher of the titles, Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL), spanned from 1998 to 2007. In a written submission to the court, Whittamore said he and his network of other private investigators provided the names and addresses attached to phone numbers, criminal records, blagged personal data collected by deception and obtained itemised phone bills."

"They remained my best customers until April 2007, when the Daily Mail ceased using my services. As I had not been charged with any offences in relation to the telephone work I carried out, I continued to provide ex-directory numbers, mobile phone conversions, itemised phone billing enquiries and blags using the methods and some of the same subcontractors I had employed prior to March 2003."

Steve Whittamore was convicted in 2005 and given a conditional discharge. He provided illegal information to Associated Newspapers Ltd (publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday) from 1998 to 2007. Whittamore and his network supplied names and addresses linked to phone numbers, criminal records, blagged personal data collected by deception, itemised phone bills, ex-directory numbers and mobile phone conversions, often via subcontractors. After his conviction some titles stopped instructing him, but the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday remained his best customers until April 2007. Seven claimants, including Prince Harry, are suing ANL over alleged unlawful information gathering; ANL denies the claims.

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